Worcester, Oxford 'supportive housing' projects get state funds

Tuesday

Mar 25, 2014 at 7:12 PMMar 25, 2014 at 7:56 PM

By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

BOSTON — Projects in Worcester and Oxford are among housing units for veterans, the homeless, and low-income families and individuals across the state that will receive a share of $25 million in state funds approved Tuesday by Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

The distribution of the money follows efforts launched in 2012 to add 1,000 units of so-called supportive housing by December 2015, the governor said. Administration officials said with the new grant awards, the state is reaching that goal one year ahead of that timetable.

Both of the Worcester County projects are being undertaken by the South Middlesex Opportunity Council.

A project at 16 Cottage St. in Worcester involves the upgrade of an existing 15 single-room occupancy building for $474,000. The other project is at 266 Main St. in Oxford and will provide 16 single-room occupancy units with supportive services for residents, for $350,000.

Charles Gagnon, chief operating officer at SMOC, said the agency is already running the single room occupancy program at the Cottage Street building, which is a former rest home. He said the group will use the new state funding to enhance handicapped accessibility features, install more efficient building systems and upgrade the facility. The funds also will help pay for supportive services to residents.

Mr. Gagnon said the Oxford development is a new project in the final stages of renovation of a historic Main Street building. He said the state funding will be used to complete the project, provide long-term financing and support services for residents. He said it will open this summer.

"Government's role is to help people help themselves, and I am extremely pleased that we have reached our ambitious housing goal early, ensuring that more of our families have the resources to get back on their feet," Mr. Patrick said in a press release. "Helping our most vulnerable families transition into stable housing is vital to supporting our economy and creating a stronger commonwealth for the next generation."

The state's supportive housing program is operated in conjunction with a network of nonprofit agencies to provide assistance, including child care, access to job training and mental health care.

The program "will provide a clear pathway for participants from homelessness and emergency shelters towards stabilization and growth in permanently affordable housing," said Aaron Gornstein, undersecretary for the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Roger Herzog, executive director of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp., who chaired a working group that developed the initiative, said 18 state agencies cooperated on the program.

"The supportive housing will help seniors, veterans, homeless individuals and families, and persons with disabilities, among others, all of whom will benefit from the services connected with this affordable housing," he said in a prepared statement.

Mr. Patrick also awarded 208 project-based vouchers from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program. The vouchers are available to owners of existing affordable rental properties that provide services or partner with an agency that has experience with successfully stabilizing homeless or low-income households.

Those vouchers allow homeless families to move into existing housing developments with long-term affordability restrictions. The nonprofit agencies that own the properties provide participating families with comprehensive services to help ensure that they do not fall back into the cycle of homelessness and emergency shelter.

Support services funding of $2,500 per unit will be used for job search and training, financial literacy and planning, self-sufficiency training and coaching, counseling, parenting, early education and child care, mental health and addiction treatment, adult education and skills training.